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SOCHI, Russia (AP) - Capitalism is alive and well at USA House in the Olympic Park.
The gathering place for American athletes, their families, sponsors and fans at the Sochi Games includes a pop-up shop selling clothing by Ralph Lauren and USA Hockey gear for eye-popping prices. The designer conceived the clothing worn by U.S. athletes in the opening ceremony, including navy cardigan sweaters covered by stars, stripes and patches available at the shop for $595.
A navy and red wool coat costs $795; a bear dressed in Lauren's Polo clothing is $350; and a navy sweater with the American flag on the front goes for $295. A red, white and blue 2014 wool scarf is $146, and fingerless wool gloves sell for $98.
The other half of the store inside the low-slung wooden USA House sells hockey sweaters and scarves, along with a selection of T-shirts.
The place was jammed on Wednesday, with multiple cash registers ringing up sales in U.S. dollars. Some customers slipped on hockey jerseys, while others fretted about the sizing of the T-shirts. Children's clothing was also for sale, along with a selection of high-end sunglasses.
_ By Beth Harris _ Twitter http://twitter.com/bethharrisap
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Associated Press reporters are filing dispatches about happenings in and around Sochi during the 2014 Winter Games. Follow AP journalists covering the Olympics on Twitter: http://apne.ws/1c3WMiu
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